Check-controlled vending apparatus.



D. M. DORMAN.

PATENTED JUNE 6, 1905.

CHECK CONTROLLED VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLIOTION FILED JAN. 10 1905.

UNITED STATES Patented June 6, 1905. I

PATENT OFFICE.

i CHECK-CONTROLLED VENDlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,'755, dated June 6, 1905.

I Application filed 'January 10, 1905. Serial No. 240.469.

To all whom/it may co ncern: I i p Be it known that'I, DENNE M. DORMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at GeneVa, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gheck-Controlled Vending Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to checlccontrolled Vending apparatus. r While I do not limit myself to the dispensing of any particular substance, I have found 'the machine as particularly advantageous for statements, the machine may be employedfor various purposes; but I Will describe it as organized for the vending of perfumes, Said machine is represented as involving in its make-up a case, as 2, which may be of any desirable shape, size, or material, said 'case being divided into 'upper and lower compartments by the transverse wall 3. The case has an opening in communication with the lower compartment thereof through which a hand- 'kerchief or the hand may be passed to receivea supply of perfume.

. The operative parts of the apparatus are directly located within the upper or larger compartment of the case and are represented as including a barrel, as 4, shown as being of cylndrical form. The barrel or cylinder 4 has botes 5, 6, and 7 arranged in superposed order and of progressively increasing diameter, the uppermost bore being adapted to contain a supply of perfume, as Will hereinafter appear, to be delivered by means under the 'control of a check to the lowermost -bore or passage 5.

Within the case and illustrated as located in the upper compartment thereof is a reservoir, as 8, into which the -perfume or other liquid is initially poured through a suitable fillingopening in the top thereof, a tube, as 9, being represented as leading from the bottom .of the reservoir to the liquid container or v chamber 7 The 'reservoir 8 is fixedly mounted in the case in any desired way and through the tube 9 serves to completely fill the chamber or container 7. y

Into the top of the barrel 4 is fitted a cap, as 10, the union between the two parts being i a screW-threaded one in the present instance. An annular shoulder around the cap fits solidly when thelatter is in its normal position against the upper edge of the barrel. The cap is counterbored to receive a gasket, as 11, which may' be of rubber and which is firmly held in place by a plug, as 12, threaded into said counterbore, the plug and gasket being centrally perforated to receive the plunger 13, illustrated as an elongated rod. The plug 12 compresses the gasket against the bottom of the counterbore in the cap lO, so that the gasket Will embrace the plunger 13 in a fluid-tight manner. The bottom of the counterbore and that of the plug are shown as concaved. The plunger 13 extends through the to'p of the case 2 and -is shown as provided at its upper ,end With a suitable Operating device, as 14, which may be a knob connected thereto in any desirable fixed manner. The lower portion of the plunger extends into the lower bore 5 or fluid-conducting passage and through the plug 15 and gasket 16, both of which are set into the intermediate bore 6, the plug 15 having a screw-threaded engagement withthe wall of said bore 6 and being slotted in its upper face to receive a screw-driver or like implement. By removing the cap 10 access may be had to the plug 15 to drive the latplunger 13 is illustrated as having near its lower end a port 17, opening into a channel or port 18, extending longitudinally of the IOO .oer ,e si

plunger and leading from the port 17 to the extreme lower end of said plunger. When the latteis in its retracted position, the port will be slghtly above the bottom of the liquid eontainer or chamber 7 or above the gasket 16, by reason of which the liquid in the container or chamber 7 can flow into the port 17 and then along the channel 18 into the passage or bore 5, in which the lower portion of the plunger works, for a reason that will hereinafter appear.

The fixedly-mounted barrel 4 is represented as ha ving in its bottom a plug or nut 19, which serves to hold the diaphragm 20 to its seat against the top of a counterbore in the bgttem of the barrel. The opening` through the. lug or nut 19 has its opposite ends outwan ly] tapered o'r fiared, the uppermost flared portion? being adapted to receive the central printimi of the diaphragm when the latter is dkg wnwardly expanded, as will hereinafter appeam The diaphragm is of some elastic material, such as rubber, and it has centrally theethrough a puncture or needle-opening %lsi wlhieh may be formed therein after the d iaphyagm is put in place, it being understbjd,;that the diaphragm is marginally held hy t hp plug or nut19. When the diaphragm is ip place, a needle, pin, or similar finelypeinted instrument can be passed upward through the central opening of the plug or nat & and through the center of the diapjiragm to puncture the same. As the diaphma'gm is of some elastic material, the punctnneflvill automatically close and will remain im jits closed relation until opened by pres- Sllte drlLt will be assumed that the plunger is in its normal retracted position, the port 17 at this time being in such position as to permit the fimv pf liquid from the container or chamber i n to the channel or port 18 and into the lewer bore or liquid-conducting passage 5. As there is no pressure upon the liquid in the passage below the plunger, the liquid will not pass through the central puncture of the diaphnagm 20, which latter constitutes, as will bevident, a simple and convenient means fqrcontrolling the discharge of liquid from the passage 5. When, however, the plunger isithrust downward or advanced by pressure gpplied to the knob 1 1, it becomes effective ie r expelling the liqnid from the passage dpwnward, during which motion the pressure exerted by the plunger is sufiicient to open the puncture or red uced opening 21 and permit the lquid to fiow therethrough and into the lower compartment of the case. When the plunger has advanced a certain distance or until the port 17 passes below the gasket 16, the supply of liquid from the container 7 to the passage 5 will be arrested by the plunger itself, the solid portion of the plunger serving to accomplish this result.

The plunger is normally postively held in its retracted or uppermost position in a positive manner, and to acoomplish this result I have shown a coiled push-spring 22, cmbracing the plnnger and hearing at one end against the plug 12 and at the opposite end against a stop, as 23, on the plunger. When the latter is in said normal position, a second collar, as 24, engages against the under side of the top of the case. Check-controlled means are provided for looking the plunger in its retracted position. When the check-controlled means, however, is operated in a direction to release the plunger, the latter may be forced downward, and as it is forced downward the spring 22 will be compressed, whereby when the plunger is released it can be promptly returned to its initial 'position by the action oi" the spring. During the downward motion of the plnnger the results hereinbet'ore described are scen red. It may be stated that the check-controlled means may be of any desirablc character, while the same applies to the check itself.

In the case of perfnme in all probability I would employ a penny as the check to secure the operation of the releasing mechanis'.

In the upper part of the case 1 illnstrate a tube, as 25, open throughout its length and which is so mounted as to have its upper end register with a slot, as 26, in the top ot' the case, so that on the introduction of a penny into said slot said penny will drop into and then along the tube 25.

A check-controlled detent is illustratcd at 27, being shown as a lever fulcrumed between its ends in the tube 25. The opposite ends of the detent 27 have oppositely-disposed books, the lower hook being disposed; in the path of the checks which downwardly traverse the tube 25, while the upper end or nose of the detent is adapted to enter a peripheral channel in the collar 28, fixedly connected in some convenient way to the plunger 13. lt will therefore be understood that normally the upper hooked end or nose of the detent engagcs in a groove in the collar 28. This relation is shown as maintained by a bowed spring, as 29, of sufficiently light tension as to permit the action of the detent by a check. Thecollar 28 above the channel in which the upper end of the detent tits is somewhat rounded, as at 30, to present a cam-face.

I t will be assumed that the parts are in their normal positions, the plunger being up and the port 17 thereof being located above the gasket 16, in order to permit the passageof liquid from the chamber 7 to the passage 5 in the manner hereinbefore described. The plunger will of course be locked in said elevated position by the detent 27. which is maintained in working relation by the bowed spring 29. Upon the insertion of the check,

which, as indicated, may be a penny, into the slot 26 the said check falls through the tube and against the inwardly-extending hooked end of the detent, so as to move what might IOO Ilo

be considered the lower branch of the de'- tent outwardly and tocarry the nose of the detent out of the groove in the collar 28 in order to release the plunger. When the plunger is released, it can be thrust down, and as it is thrust down the cam portion 30 of the collar 28 will ride against the nose of the detent and will swing the upper branch of the detent inward and the lower branch thereof farther outward and to such an extent as to permit the coin or check resting against the lower hooked end of the detent to drop from said hooked end and onto the wall 3 or to be otherwise disposed of. When the plunger moves down, the expulsion of liquid from the passage 5 is efl'ected, as herein before described. When the plunger is released by the user or purchaser, the spring 22 promptly returns said plunger to its retracted position, at which time the nose of the detent 27 can be promptly moved into the channel of the collar 28by the action of the spring 29.

It will be understood, of course, that the wall 3 is perforated for the passage of the liquid expelled from the passage 5 by the plunger 13 as the latter moves downward.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A vending apparatus havinga liquid-container, a passage in communication with the liquid-container, a plunger adapted when in its retracted position to permit the flow of the liquid from the container to said passage and when advanced to force the liquid through said passage, means for locking the plunger in said retracted position and means for controlling the discharge of the liquid from the passage.

2. A vending apparatus having a liq uid-container, a passage incommunication with the liquid-container, a plunger`- adapted when in its normal position to permit the flow of the liquid from the container to said passage and when operated to force the liquid through said passage, and a diaphragm for controlling the discharge of liqud from the passage, having an automatioally-closable puncture.

3. Avendingapparatus havingaliquid-container, a passage in communication with the liquid-container, a plunger havinga port and a channel leading from the port, the said port when the plunger is in its normal position being located within the container to permit the flow of liquid through the port into said channel and into said passage, and means for controlling the discharge of liquid from the passage, said liquid being adapted to be forced through the passage on the advancing movement of the plunger.

4. A vending apparatus having a liquid-conducting passage and a plunger arranged to force liquid through said passage, and means for controlling the discharge of liquid from the passage, consisting of a diaphragm having a puncture, 5. Avending apparatus havingaliquidrcontainer, a passage in communication with the liquid-container, a plunger adapted when in its normal position to permit the flow of the liquid to said passage and When operated to force the liquid through said passage, means for controlling the discharge of the liquid from the passage, and means for positively maintaining the plunger in said normal position.

6. A vending apparatus having a liquid-container, a passage in communication with the liquid-container, a plunger adapted when in its normal position to permit the flow of liquid from said container to said passage and when advanced to force the liquids through said passage, means for controlling the disi charge of liquid from said passage, means for looking said plunger in its normal position and a springacting against the plunger to positively hold it in its normal position and to return the plunger to said normal position when the latter is released by the user.

7. A vending apparatus having a liquid-container, a passage in communication with the liquid-container, a plunger adapted when retracted to permit 'the flow of liquid from the liquid-container to said passage and when advanced to force the liquid through said passage, means for controlling the discharge of liquid from the passage, means for locking' i the plunger in its retracted position and a reservoir in communication with the liquid-container.

8. A vending apparatus having a barrel provided with bores of progressively-increasing diameter from the lowermost to the uppermost one, the uppermost bore constituting a liquid-container and the lowermost bore a passage, the two being in communication, a cap removably fitted in the top of the barrel and having a gasket, a second gasket in the intermediate bore, a plunger extending through the two gaskets and having a port and a channel leading therefrom, a reservoir, a tube connecting the reservoir with the largest bore or liquid-container, and a diaphragm suitably held against the bottom of the-barrel having Ia) puncture in register. with the lowermost ore.

9. A vending apparatus having a liquid-container, a passage in communication With the liquid-contaner, a'plunger adapted, when in its retracted position, to permit the flow of the liquid from the container to said passage, and when advanced, to force the liquid through said passage, means for looking said plunger in its retracted position, and a casing inclosing the said liquid-container, having an opening for the introduction of an article, and means to permit the liquid delivered by the plunger, to pass to said article, the upper end I O'O IIO i of 'the plunger passing through the top of said casing.

10. A vending apparatus having a liquidconduoting passage and a plunger arranged to force liquid through said passage, means for controlling the discharge of liquid from the passage, consisting of a diaphragm having a puncture,- and a casing for the working parts of the apparatus, the plunger extending through the top of the casing.

11. A vending apparatus having a barrel provided with a gasket, a plunger extending through the gasket into the barrel, the plunger having a port and aohannel leading *from the port, means for looking the plunger against 

